Hans Christian Anderson's 1836 short story "The Little Mermaid" has been the source of several films, including Walt Disney's The Little Mermaid in 1989 and Splash, starring Tom Hanks and Darryl Hanna in l988. The difference between the original version of the story and the subsequent film versions lies in the pain and to a certain degree, the failure, experienced by the mermaid in the Anderson tale. In Ponyo and the Disney film, the mermaid is able to become human and in Splash the human is able to begin an undersea life. But in Anderson's story, the mermaid fails to win the love that will guarantee her a human life and earn her a soul. She has had her tongue cut out and cannot speak; her fish tail has given way to legs which cause piercing pain with every step she takes. She watches helplessly as the Prince she loves marries another and she is thus doomed to die. The undersea witch gives her the chance to reclaim her life: she must take a knife and stab the Prince in the heart. But she cannot participate in this evil and she thus becomes one of the beings who can earn a soul by flying to distressed countries "cooling the sultry air that destroys mankind with the pestilence." Anderson's tale is more complex than the films it inspired, but the theme pertaining to love remains clear

Miyazaki has made it clear that he found Anderson's tale inspirational but has taken it into a new direction by making the story an allegory applicable to modern-day concerns. Miyazaki's debt to Anderson is apparent not just in the concept of transformative love but in the vivid use of color that dominates the short story and forms the central artistic element of art in Ponyo. Anderson's story describes a blue and purple undersea world filled with magical flowers and fishes. As his Little Mermaid prefers the color red, Ponyo herself prefers red to the more varied and sometimes subtle colors around her. Anderson uses the term "transparent beautiful beings" late in his story and this descriptive phrase can seen in visuals throughout Miyazaki's film. Ponyo seems to ride away to human experience inside one of these jelly-fish images and the dome in which the problems are all resolved at the film's end reflects this vision of ethereal beauty.

Ponyo, which Miyazaki wrote, drew and directed, marks a return to hand drawn art in his films. He used no computer animation in its creation and each frame is a work of art in itself.

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Additional Discussion Questions

5. In all of the animated versions of Anderson's little mermaid story, there is great sacrifice required of the girl who wants to become human. What must Ponyo relinquish in order to become human and what does it mean in terms of the allegory told by this story? Why must she relinquish this? Suggested Response: Ponyo must give up her life below the seas and her magical powers. She had used magic several times in the film: healing Sôsuke's wound; making the generator at Sôsuke's house work during the blackout; enlarging Sôsuke's toy boat so they could use it to find his mother; and healing a baby with her touch. This magic is expressive of the power of nature and letting it go means that Ponyo will have to live with the powers of mortals rather than the gods. She will have to take reality as it is. She trades godliness for human love.

6. What idea occurs as Ponyo is caught in the net dragging the ocean floor in her effort to escape the sea? Suggested Response: The trash and desperate fishes caught in the net hint at the director's statement about how humans are destroying the sea. Ponyo escapes only through luck, showing the fragility of sea life with the intrusion of human mechanisms.

7. What is the most unrealistic part of the movie and why is it a necessary part of the story? Suggested Response: Reasonable minds will differ. However, any good discussion of this question should include a contention that the romantic love between the two children and the life-long commitment made by Sôsuke, at age 5 is not realistic. This is required, however, by the allegory. and the predominance of the allegorical story over what one might realistically expect is one of the main reasons that this story is allegorical. Remember, that the content of an allegorical work is less important than its symbolic meaning.

8. What is the point of having the old ladies at the senior center in the story? Suggested Response: There is no one correct response. A good discussion will include the following concepts. They provide depth to the story. The old ladies bring out Sôsuke's good nature, sense of responsibility, and they add humor; they contrast to the age of the main characters and provide a sense of unity to the society shown in the film.

9. What truth can be found in the words of Sôsuke's mother when she tries to console him when Ponyo is taken back into the sea? Suggested Response: Lisa says that the ocean is Ponyo's home and that she was not meant to live in a bucket. These words hint at the idea that in order to be with Sôsuke, Ponyo must transform into a human. Students should be encouraged to think about animals who are placed in unnatural settings, such as dolphins who are captured and then forced to perform at dolphinariums such as Sea World; elephants or other animals who were born to roam over large areas but who are confined to small cages in zoos, etc., and how this may not be good for the animals.

10.What point is being made when Sôsuke and his mother talk about broken promises? Suggested Response: Answers will vary. A good discussion should include the following ideas. Sôsuke's father did not intend to hurt his mother and his son by breaking his promise to be home that night. He felt that he had to work. Sôsuke did not intend to hurt Ponyo when he first promised to take care of her when she was a goldfish and when he then lost her to the rowdy seas. Promises that are broken through no fault of the ones who make the promises are not betrayals.

11. Miyazake makes several points about human relationship with nature when Ponyo's father tries to convince Ponyo to revert back to a fish. What do you recall him saying in these scenes and what are the effects of his words on Ponyo and viewers of the film? Suggested Response: Ponyo's father says that he was once human. He refers to humans as treating the sea like their "empty black souls"; that "the era of those abominable humans" must end, and that he had to leave behind his life as a human in order "to serve the earth." He says that humans have spoiled the sea and he looks forward to "the age of the Ocean . . . [a]n explosion of life to match the Cambrian age. An end to the era of those abominable humans." He tells Ponyo that she cannot be human and keep her magic and that she must not upset the balance of nature by changing into human. His harsh words are intended to counter the concept of humano-centrism that is expressed in Ponyo's desire to join Ponyo in his human life. Viewers may consider the idea that human life is not the highest expression of good.

12. The visuals in Ponyo are dramatic, including the appearance of Ponyo's father who has a shock of red hair and wears a vividly striped jacket. How does this image of Fujimoto serve to reveal character? Suggested Response: Answers will vary. He seems to be quite eccentric and uncertain about how to deal with his rebellious daughter. He is easily flustered. Sôsuke's mother calls him a "freak show" when she sees him come near her home as he searches for Ponyo. He is neither mean nor authoritarian; he is just a bit odd.

13. Boats and ships are seen continually through the film. When Sôsuke first finds Ponyo he is carrying a little toy boat. What is the purpose of the repeated use of boats and ships? Suggested Response: The images of boats and ships tie elements of the film together. In the background, they show the continual use of the sea by humans and Sôsuke's father works on a ship. Ponyos's father gets about in a four-flippered submarine. Sôsuke's toy boat, magically altered by Ponyo helps in the effort to find Sôsuke's mother. Several rescue ships are seen after the flood and in one Pony uses her magic to help heal an ailing child. Boats and ships bring characters together as they bring out character.

14. How is Sôsuke's mother characterized? Suggested Response: There is no one correct response. A good discussion will include the following concepts. Lisa, Sôsuke's mother is young and gives her son a great deal of independence. She is a wild driver. She calls Ponyo's father a "freak Show" and then tells Sôsuke not to call people such names or to judge people by their looks. She works at a senior center and cares about her patients. Her character is best revealed when she says, as she and her son are preparing for dinner after the disappointment felt when her husband will not be home at night, the dinner "will start with desert and go backwards." She clearly fits the character of a mother who would have a compassionate and free spirited child such as Sôsuke and her situation of being left alone for long periods of time while her husband is off working makes it more likely that her son will step-up and be a responsible child. (See Social Emotional Learning Question #1)

15. There are several examples of foreshadowing in the firt fifteen minutes of the film. What are they? Suggested Response: Here are a few examples: Ponyo really likes ham – Lisa: When told that Ponyo, while still a goldfish, likes to eat ham, Lisa remarks, &quote;So she thinks she's human,&quote; One of the old ladies says, "Get me out of this wheel chair!"
Another old lady says, "Don't you realize it will cause a Tsunami."

1. Does Ponyo know what she's getting into by leaving her home in the sea, losing her magical powers, and becoming a human being? Suggested Response: Ponyo has no idea what she's getting into or giving up. Her character is thinly drawn, unlike the characters of Sôsuke, Lisa and her father. This is a weakness of the film.

(Do what you are supposed to do; Persevere: keep on trying!; Always do your best; Use self-control; Be self-disciplined; Think before you act -- consider the consequences; Be accountable for your choices)

1. Why do children in some single parent families or in families in which one parent is an alcoholic or drug addict often act more responsibly than other children their age? Suggested Response: One of the most important things for any child is for the family structure to be stable. When there is a instability or a deficit in the family structure many children will try to step up and fulfill the role of the absent parent. Some single parents can supply both the parental roles of father and mother, but this is a very hard task, especially since many single family parents must work. Thus, often, in these situations, children willingly step into the role of being a responsible member of the family at a very early age. For these children, taking on responsibility is a task that is necessary to right the balance of nature.

CARING

(Be kind; Be compassionate and show you care; Express gratitude; Forgive others; Help people in need)

2. What is the relationship between caring for another person and being responsible in your dealings with them? Suggested Response: One of the aspects of caring, is acting responsibly with respect to the person you love. Certainly, if you don't act responsibly in your relations with another person, you are not acting in a caring manner.

1. Read Hans Christian Anderson's story, "The Little Mermaid," and write as essay in which you show the harsh circumstances the protagonist faces in her effort to be with the man she loves. Be sure to address the concepts involved and try to explain what themes emerge from the mermaid's failure to succeed in her quest. Address the reasons you think Anderson allows his character to lose her battle to come human. [Teachers who want to make sure that students read the fairy tale can have them fill out TWM's Worksheet for "The Little Mermaid".]

2. Anderson's story uses a good deal of description and detail to impress upon the reader the beauty of the sea life as well as the glamour of the world above the sea. Compare the descriptions in this story to the images shown in Ponyo. Mention color and plants and visual images of people and places.

4. Do a storyboard based upon the ideas in Anderson's short story. You can find examples of storyboards done by Miyasaki for Ponyo on line and see how he has done his work. You will learn that he creates his drawings as the story develop whereas you are expected to do the drawings for Anderson's story, which was written over a century and a half ago. Present the storyboard to the class and explain why you may have left out images or included others.

5. Write an opinion piece about the basic sexism some have found in both Anderson's, Disney's and Miyasaki's tales. Address the fact that it is never the male who is expected to give up his soul, his voice or his magic for the company of the opposite sex. You may want to pay close attention to Ursula's song, "Body Language," in the Disney film.

6. View Splash and write about the different take you see on the "Little Mermaid" story. Note the shift in gender expectations and outcomes. Prepare a presentation to the class on the discoveries you have made.

Common Core State Standards that can be Served by this Learning Guide
(Anchor Standards only)

Multimedia: Anchor Standard #7 for Reading (for both ELA classes and for History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Classes). (The three Anchor Standards read: "Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media, including visually and quantitatively as well as in words.") CCSS pp. 35 & 60. See also Anchor Standard # 2 for ELA Speaking and Listening, CCSS pg. 48.

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